Popcorn Maker

ABSTRACT

A system for popping popcorn includes a housing, a container positioned in the housing, a cooking vessel removably supported in the housing and containing unpopped popcorn kernels, wherein the cooking vessel comprises a ferromagnetic material, a coil that creates an oscillating magnetic field that interacts with the ferromagnetic material of the cooking vessel and generates an amount of heat in the cooking vessel, and a separate receiving vessel for receiving popped popcorn positioned adjacent the cooking vessel, wherein the receiving vessel is configured to move relative the cooking vessel.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to cooking systems that utilize avibrating device to improve the process of food preparation. Moreparticularly, the present invention pertains to the use of induction andvibration to cook and prepare food, including popping popcorn.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

It is well known that the quality of food is improved when it has beenproperly stirred or mixed during preparation. Stirring and mixingpromotes even heating and cooking so that the finished product isconsistently and thoroughly prepared. This is true whether the food isrice, oatmeal, meat, or popcorn. However, it is also known that the needto mix or stir food while it is being cooked is a time consuming,tiresome, and often tedious aspect of food preparation. Various attemptshave been made to obviate or minimize the need for manual stirring offood while it is being cooked. These attempts include use a vibratingdevice to impart motion to the cooking system which causes relativemovement between the system and the food being cooked as well as withinthe food itself.

The preparation of popcorn requires particular attention. In order toprepare a sufficient quantity of popped kernels that are uniformlycooked, the even application of heat to all of the kernels isimperative. Otherwise, some kernels pop earlier than others and becomeburned while the later-popping kernels continue to be heated. On theother hand, uneven heating can leave numerous kernels unpopped or onlypartially popped.

Many previous attempts have been made to engineer an efficient way toprepare high quality popcorn. For example, the well known Jiffy Pop®brand combines popcorn kernels and oil in a disposable aluminum pan withan expandable aluminum foil top. The Jiffy Pop® unit is heated on anelectric range while the consumer continuously oscillates the unit,causing the kernels to move and mix in the pan. One obvious disadvantageof this method is the nearly constant attention that the consumer mustpay to the task of shaking the disposable pan across the heat source.The Jiffy Pop® container must be continuously shaken back and forth sothat the kernels are continuously mixed while being heated.

Another example is the use of a microwave oven to heat a paper packagecontaining kernels and oil. This method has well-known problems,including wildly uneven heating of the kernels resulting in burnedpopcorn and many kernels remaining unpopped. The overall flavor ofpopcorn prepared in the microwave is also well-known to be belowaverage.

Thus, there is also a need for a reliable system to make high qualitypopcorn without requiring the entirety of the consumer's attentionduring preparation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide a cooking systemthat makes high quality popcorn. It is a further object of the presentinvention to provide a cooking system that provides even heating tokernels of popcorn so that the kernels each pop within a narrow windowof time from the others. It is a further object of the present inventionto provide a cooking system that makes popcorn in a short amount oftime. It is a further object of the present invention to provide acooking system that permits easy consumption of the popcorn and easyclean up after making popcorn.

In order to at least partially achieve the forgoing and other objects, asystem for popping popcorn is provided, including a housing, a containerpositioned in the housing, a cartridge containing unpopped popcornkernels removably supported in the container, wherein the cartridgeincludes ferromagnetic material, a coil that creates an oscillatingmagnetic field that interacts with the ferromagnetic layer of thecartridge and generates an amount of heat in the cartridge, a vibratorcoupled to the container for vibrating the container and the cartridge,and a receiving vessel for receiving popped popcorn positioned adjacentthe container.

In some embodiments, the cartridge has a peel-off cover. In additionalembodiments, the cartridge has a height of about half an inch. Infurther embodiments, the cartridge has a diameter of about 2-3 inches.

In certain embodiments, the container is formed of a thermallyinsulating, elastically deformable material.

In some embodiments, the cartridge contains at least one other substancein addition to unpopped popcorn kernels. In certain of theseembodiments, the at least one additional substance is one of an oil,salt, spice, or flavoring.

In certain embodiments, a bottom and side walls of the cartridge createa seal between contents of the cartridge and the rest of the system.

A system for popping popcorn is also provided including a housing, acontainer positioned in the housing and adapted to support a cookingvessel containing unpopped popcorn kernels, a heating element adapted togenerate heat in the cooking vessel, and a vibrator coupled to thecontainer for vibrating the container, wherein the container is formedof a thermally insulating, elastically deformable material.

In some embodiments, the heating element comprises a coil for creatingan oscillating magnetic field that interacts with and generates anamount of heat in the cooking vessel.

In certain embodiments, the cooking vessel is a popcorn cartridge thatincludes a ferromagnetic surface for interacting with the oscillatingmagnetic field to generate the heat in the vessel. In some of theseembodiments, the popcorn cartridge is disposable. In other embodiments,the popcorn cartridge is reusable.

In some cases, the container is formed of a silicone rubber.

In some embodiments, the vibrator is coupled directly to the container.In additional embodiments, the vibrator comprises a vibrating elementplaced in the container, a motor positioned in the housing forgenerating vibrations in the vibrating element, and connector forconnecting the motor with the vibrating element.

In some embodiments, the system further includes a receiving vessel forreceiving popped popcorn. In certain of these embodiments, the systemalso includes a lid coupled to the housing, wherein the lidsubstantially covers the container and the receiving vessel. Inadditional embodiments, the lid is shaped to direct a kernel of poppedpopcorn from the cooking vessel to the receiving vessel.

In certain embodiments, the housing has a base and a top and the heatingelement is located closer to the top of the housing than the base of thehousing. In some of these embodiments, the system also includes a powersupply located near the housing base, wherein the heating element isconnected to the power supply.

In some cases, the system further includes software for operating theheating element and the vibrator to automatically pop the popcorn.

In some embodiments, the system automatically recognizes a type ofpopcorn to be cooked and selects a particular pre-loaded algorithmcorresponding to the type of popcorn.

Other objects of the invention and its particular features andadvantages will become more apparent from consideration of the followingdrawings and accompanying detailed description.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a system for popping popcorn according toan embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a side view of the system of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a cross-section view of a portion of the system of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is an isometric view of the system of FIG. 1, showing the lid inclosed position.

FIGS. 5A and 5B illustrate one exemplary embodiment of a cartridge foruse with embodiments of the present invention.

FIGS. 6A and 6B illustrate another exemplary embodiment of a cartridgefor use with embodiments of the present invention.

FIGS. 7A-7C illustrate a first exemplary embodiment of a vibrationsystem for use with embodiments of the present invention.

FIGS. 8A-8C illustrate a second exemplary embodiment of a vibrationsystem for use with embodiments of the present invention.

FIGS. 9A-9C illustrate a third exemplary embodiment of a vibrationsystem for use with embodiments of the present invention.

FIG. 10 shows summaries of exemplary software algorithms used inembodiments of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

With reference now to the drawings, embodiments of the present inventionwill be described. FIGS. 1-4 illustrate a system for popping popcorn 10according to one embodiment of the present invention. It is understood,however, that the present invention is not limited to the particulardesign shown in these figures and that other suitable designs may beutilized.

The system 10 can be described as a stand-alone electric popcorn maker.The system 10 utilizes both induction cooking technology as well asvibration, along with various other features described below to improvethe efficiency of popping popcorn and the overall quality of thefinished product.

Induction cooking systems have been known for many years but have gainedpopularity recently due to their many advantages over other types ofcooking systems. For example, like a traditional electric stove, aninduction stove uses electricity to generate heat. However, instead ofheating a resistive element (such as a coil of metal) by passingelectric current through it, an induction stove generates an oscillatingmagnetic field that causes the cooking vessel itself to be heated. Theterm “cooking vessel,” as used throughout this specification, refers toany container or hardware in which food or other material is placed tobe cooked.

In an induction cooking system, a wire coil located beneath the cookingarea receives an alternating electrical current, and thereby creates anoscillating magnetic field. When a cooking vessel made from aferromagnetic material is placed in the cooking area, the oscillatingmagnetic field causes the ferromagnetic material to heat up. Theferromagnetic material is heated by means of magnetic hysteresis loss inthe ferromagnetic material as well as by eddy currents created in theferromagnetic material (which generate heat due to the electricalresistance of the material). The mechanisms by which an induction coilgenerates heat in a cooking vessel are well known to those of skill inthe art.

FIGS. 1-4 show a system 10 that includes a housing 11, a container orcup 12, a receiving vessel 13, and a lid 14. The housing 11 is made withany suitable material, e.g. plastic, that is not expensive tomanufacture and is easy to clean. The housing 11 has a power switch 15located near its base 16 for turning on of the system 10 by a user. Insome embodiments, the power switch 15 is lit up when it is activated toindicate the device status to the user. The user initiates the popcornpopping cycle by pushing the power switch 15. This causes the vibratorand induction coil to activate according to a program selected tooptimize popping of kernels in the popcorn cartridge.

The lid 14 is connected to the housing by a hinge or any other suitablemechanism and, when the lid is in the closed position, it covers boththe container 12 and the receiving vessel 13. The cup 12 is adapted toreceive a cooking vessel, or cartridge, of unpopped popcorn kernels forpopping. Inside the housing 11 is a heating element, which in thisembodiment, is an induction coil and a vibrator that is coupled to thecontainer 12. A power cord 17 is connected to a power supply unit alsoinside the housing 11 and can be plugged into a wall outlet forobtaining electrical power. The heating element and the vibrator obtainpower from the power supply unit.

FIG. 2 shows the system 10 with the lid 14 in the closed position. Thelid 14 is sloped in such a way that, when popcorn kernels are popped,the popped kernels bounce off of the lid 14 and land in the receivingvessel 13. As is known in the art, the energy released when a popcornkernel that is resting on a surface is popped, will generally cause thekernel to be propelled upwards from the surface. The lid shown in thedrawings causes the system to utilize this propulsion of the poppingkernels to direct the kernels into the receiving vessel 13. The vessel13 is removable from the housing 11 so that the user can easily consumethe popped popcorn, wash the container, and use it again for anotherbatch of popcorn. In some embodiments, the receiving vessel 13 istransparent such that the user can view the progress of the popcornpopping process. In additional embodiments, the lid 14 is transparent orsemi-transparent.

FIG. 3 illustrates a cross section view of the upper portion of thehousing 11 of the system 10. The container or cup 12 is shaped toreceive a popcorn cartridge or other cooking vessel 19. Beneath it is aheating element, in this case an induction coil 18, that generates heatin the cartridge or other cooking vessel 19. Heat is generated by virtueof the fact that the cartridge or vessel 19 includes at least someferromagnetic material. A vibrator 20 is coupled to the container 12.The vibrator 20 imparts oscillating movement to the container and,thereby, the cartridge or other cooking vessel 19. This causes thepopcorn (or other food) to be mixed while being heated.

Advantageously, the induction coil 18 is located in the upper section ofthe housing 11. This way, the coil 18 is remote from the power supplyunit of the system, which is located near the base 16, to prevent anypotential overheating issues.

In the embodiment shown in the figures, the container 12 is formed ofhigh-temperature silicone. The container 12 seals the top of the housingto prevent spills of the contents of the cartridge 19, e.g. oil. Thehigh-temperature silicone container 12 also insulates the cookingsystem, and particularly the induction coil, from heat generated in thecartridge or vessel 19. The elasticity of the container 12 also isolatesthe system from the vibrations created by the vibrator. This helpsprevent wear on parts of the system and unwanted loosening of variousfasteners used throughout. It is understood that the container 12 may bemanufactured out of any other suitable thermally insulating, elasticallydeformable material.

The popcorn cartridge 19 is, in some embodiments, a disposable cartridgesimilar to Keurig's K-Cup®, such as shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B. Thecartridge 19 has a body 36 with an inner cavity 34 that containsunpopped popcorn kernels 42 and any other desirable substance, such assalt, spices, oil and/or flavorings. The cartridge also has a lid 32that may be peeled-off or otherwise removed before the cartridge isplaced in the system. The popcorn cartridge 19 for use with the presentinvention includes a ferromagnetic material for interacting with theinduction coil 18. As shown in FIG. 5B, the cartridge 19 includes aferromagnetic layer 40 positioned in the cavity 34. The cartridge 19 canalso include an intermediate layer 38 made with any suitable thermallyinsulating material, such as silicone, that functions to thermallyisolate the ferromagnetic layer 40 from the rest of the system. Inadditional embodiments, the lower surface as well as the side surface ofthe cartridge 19 are made of a ferromagnetic material to permit maximumheating.

The cartridge is completely sealed off during storage such that none ofthe contents can spill out. Once the lid is removed and the cartridge isplaced into the system 10, only the top of the cartridge is open suchthat only popped popcorn can escape the cartridge by being propelled outfrom the open top of the cartridge. The unpopped kernels and othercontents of the cartridge, such as oil, spices or flavoring, cannot exitthe cartridge from the bottom or side walls and contaminate the rest ofthe system.

In some advantageous embodiments, the cartridge 19 is sized such that itaccommodates a single layer of unpopped kernels 42 (approximately 1 ozof kernels), but is small enough such that the popped popcorn cannotfall back into the cartridge but instead is propelled into the receivingvessel 13. In certain advantageous embodiments, the cartridge 19 isabout 2-3 inches in diameter and about half an inch in height. Thecartridge 19 may also contain an oil layer, which will typically behardened/thickened during storage thereby holding the unpopped kernelsin place. Once the cartridge in placed in the system 10 and heated, theoil will soften and the final popped popcorn will be mixed with oil toimprove taste. After the popping process is completed, the cartridge isremoved from the system, e.g. by grabbing the two sides of the cartridgeto lift it up, and discarded.

The present invention will also accept non-disposable cooking vessels,such as trays or cups, that a user can reuse for cooking popcorn orother foods. Again, such cooking vessels must contain some ferromagneticmaterial and fit suitably well in the container 12. One example of suchcooking vessel is illustrated in FIGS. 6A and 6B. In this embodiment,the cooking vessel 19 has a body 44 with a cavity 48 for holdingunpopped popcorn kernels, and a removable lid 46. The cavity 48 has aferromagnetic layer 50 positioned on its bottom. The ferromagneticmaterial may also be used for the bottom and/or side walls of the body44. A thermally insulating layer 54 may also be placed under theferromagnetic layer 50. The unpopped kernels are placed into the cavity48 prior to activation of the system 10. In some embodiments, theremovable lid 46 is sized such that it can receive the popped popcorn,in which case the system may not utilize a receiving vessel 13. In thisembodiment, the kernels will pop and will be contained in the vessel 19by the lid 46. Once the popping process is completed, the user mayremove the vessel 19 from the system and open the lid to access thepopper popcorn. The vessel is then cleaned and may be reused in thefuture.

The oscillations generated by the vibration device 20 assist indispersing the kernels across the bottom of the cartridge 19. Thisensures that a higher percentage of the kernels pop, leaving very littleunpopped product behind. Several exemplary embodiments of the vibrationdevices are illustrated in FIGS. 7A-7C, 8A-8C, and 9A-9C.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 7A-7C, the vibration device includes avibration element 60, such as a disk, placed on the bottom of thecontainer 12. The disk 60 oscillates and transfers oscillations to thecartridge placed in the container 12. The disk is made with any suitablematerial. In some embodiments, the disk is made with a non-ferrousmaterial, such as plastic, and functions primarily to transfervibrations to the cartridge. In additional embodiments, the disk is madewith a ferromagnetic material, such as magnetic stainless steel, thatinteracts with the induction coil and provides additional heating to thekernels inside the cartridge 19.

There is also a motor mechanism that generates oscillations that aretransferred to the disk 60 via a connecting rod 62 that connects themotor with the disk. The connecting rod 62 is preferably made with anon-ferrous material such that it does not become heated by theinduction coil 18. In the example shown in these figures, the motorcomprises a stationary motor 66 coupled to an eccentric crank 64, whichis in turn coupled to the connecting rod 62, as shown in FIG. 7C. Anysuitable type of vibration motor may be used. The actuation of the motor66 causes the crank 64 to rotate on axis pin 65, which causes theconnecting rod 62 to move in an up and down motion, thus creatingoscillations that are transferred to the cartridge 19.

The vibration system shown in FIGS. 8A-8C is similar to the system shownin FIGS. 7A-7C. However, in this embodiment, the vibration motor 74 iscoupled directly to the connecting rod 72. The vibration device alsoincludes a counter weight 76 coupled to the motor 74. Rotation of thecounter weight 76 on an axis pin 75 causes the motor 74 with the coupledconnecting rod 72 to move in a side to side motion, as shown in FIGS. 8Band 8C, which in turn causes the disk 70 placed in the container 12 tooscillate.

In the embodiment shown in FIGS. 9A-9C, the motor 86 is coupled to theconnecting rod 82 and is also coupled to a counter weight 84. Thecoupling between the motor and the other components is such that therotation of the counter weight 84 on an axis pin 85 causes theconnecting rod 82 to move in an up and down motion, which is transmittedto the disk 80 positioned in the container 12.

In some embodiments, the system includes software programming that willcause the heating element 18 and the vibrator 20 to be operated toproperly cook popcorn or other food automatically. For example, unpoppedpopcorn kernels are provided in a predetermined serving size along withthe appropriate amount of cooking oil and other flavorings (such asspices etc.). In some embodiments, these ingredients are intended to beloaded into a non-disposable cooking tray 19 that includes aferromagnetic material for interacting with the induction coil, asdescribed above. The system has a software algorithm that ispreprogrammed to apply the ideal amount of cooking power, for the idealamount of time, and at the ideal level of vibration to optimally pop thepredetermined serving size of popcorn.

The induction coil is driven at the necessary frequency and with thenecessary input voltage and current to obtain the desired cooking powerlevel. In some embodiments, for example, the coil is driven atfrequencies between 19 KHz and 59 KHz. The power level is adjusted alonga precise curve over the cooking time to optimize the popping. At thesame time, the algorithm selects the vibration level to help evenly heatthe kernels. Thus, the system software operates the induction coil andthe vibrator at the appropriate levels over the necessary cooking timeto provide optimally popped popcorn.

The system software described above provides a simplified userexperience. The user first opens the lid 14, then places the ingredientsin a cooking vessel 19, which is then placed in the container 12, andthen closes the lid. The user then simply presses the power button 15and waits for the system to signal that popping is complete. The userthe opens the lid again and removes the receiving vessel 13 containingthe popped popcorn.

In other embodiments, food is supplied in prepackaged containersdesigned specifically for automatic cooking in the system 10. Oneexample, also discussed above, is a cartridge with unpopped popcornkernels, cooking oil, and flavorings contained therein. The cartridgeincludes a ferromagnetic material for interacting with the inductioncoil. In some embodiments, each cartridge has a machine readable ID thatthe system 10 reads to determine which cooking algorithm to use.Different foods require different power level profiles, cooking times,and vibration levels, so the system 10 has multiple preloaded cookingalgorithms. Once the cartridge is recognized by the system 10, thealgorithm operates the coil and vibrator to cook the food.

The system also provides a simplified user experience. Because of theautomatic food-type recognition feature, only a single button isrequired to initiate the automatic cooking. In the case of a prepackagedpopcorn cartridge, the popped popcorn will be deposited in thecontainer. For other types of food, the cooked food will remain in theprepackaged container and the user simply removes it from the container12 and serves it. A summary of two exemplary software algorithms isprovided at FIG. 10.

It should be understood that the foregoing is illustrative and notlimiting, and that obvious modifications may be made by those skilled inthe art without departing from the spirit of the invention. Accordingly,reference should be made primarily to the accompanying claims, ratherthan the foregoing specification, to determine the scope of theinvention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A system for popping popcorn, comprising: ahousing, a container positioned in the housing, a cooking vesselremovably supported in the housing and containing unpopped popcornkernels, wherein the cooking vessel comprises a ferromagnetic material,a coil that creates an oscillating magnetic field that interacts withthe ferromagnetic material of the cooking vessel and generates an amountof heat in the cooking vessel, and a separate receiving vessel forreceiving popped popcorn positioned adjacent the cooking vessel, whereinthe receiving vessel is configured to move relative the cooking vessel.2. The system of claim 1, wherein the container is formed of a thermallyinsulating, elastically deformable material.
 3. The system of claim 1,wherein the cooking vessel contains at least one other substance inaddition to unpopped popcorn kernels.
 4. The system of claim 3, whereinthe at least one additional substance is one of an oil, salt, spice, orflavoring.
 5. The system of claim 1, further comprising a vibratorcoupled to the container for vibrating the container and the cartridge.6. The system of claim 5, wherein the vibrator is coupled directly tothe container.
 7. The system of claim 5, wherein the vibrator comprisesa vibrating element placed in the container, a motor positioned in thehousing for generating vibrations in the vibrating element, andconnector for connecting the motor with the vibrating element.
 8. Asystem for popping popcorn, comprising: a housing, a containerpositioned in the housing, a cooking vessel removably supported in thehousing and containing unpopped popcorn kernels, a heating elementadapted to generate heat in the cooking vessel, a separate receivingvessel for receiving popped popcorn positioned adjacent the cookingvessel, wherein the receiving vessel is configured to move relative thecooking vessel, and a lid that covers both the cooking vessel and thereceiving vessel, wherein the lid is configured to open to allow accessto the cooking vessel.
 9. The system of claim 8, wherein the heatingelement comprises a coil for creating an oscillating magnetic field thatinteracts with and generates an amount of heat in the cooking vessel.10. The system of claim 9, wherein the cooking vessel comprises aferromagnetic surface for interacting with the oscillating magneticfield to generate the heat in the vessel.
 11. The system of claim 8,wherein the container is formed of a silicone rubber.
 12. The system ofclaim 8, wherein the lid is shaped to direct a kernel of popped popcornfrom the cooking vessel to the receiving vessel.
 13. The system of claim8, wherein the housing has a base and a top and the heating element islocated closer to the top of the housing than the base of the housing.14. The system of claim 13, further comprising a power supply locatednear the housing base, wherein the heating element is connected to thepower supply.
 15. The system of claim 8, further comprising software foroperating the heating element to automatically pop the popcorn.
 16. Thesystem of claim 8, wherein the system automatically recognizes a type ofpopcorn to be cooked and selects a particular pre-loaded algorithmcorresponding to the type of popcorn.